Project Manager – Climate Smart Education Systems Initiative (CSESI)

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3- The role holder will work closely with the Program Operations Manager as well as with the federal and provincial education and other relevant departments and will play an integral part of the delivery of the Climate Smart Education Systems Strategic Capability Initiative, for which Save the Children and UNESCO are Grants Agents, supported by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). The Manager will coordinate, organize, implement and communicate with relevant departments and ministries working in education and climate change.

He/she may have regular contact with children and/or young people frequently. She/He is required to have knowhow and act towards ensuring SCIs child safeguarding policy, be engaged in awareness creation for prevention, reporting and responding urgently to issues affecting children.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The Manager will work under the supervision of the Program Operations Manager with support from Education Advisor and Climate Advisor, who will provide guidance on coordination, quality delivery, and organizing effective events under the Climate Smart Education initiative. The Manager will support the four Provincial Education Departments to strengthen their capacities for climate-smart education and to document cross-sectoral coordination on climate and environment-related issues and advocate for climate financing.

The Manager will assist the Program Operations Manager in supporting provincial education departments in designing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on relevant Climate Smart Education initiatives. The role will coordinate the implementation of high-quality Climate Smart Education initiatives at both policy and field levels, ensuring and demonstrating impact for children in emergency and development contexts.

The Manager will also facilitate documentation of processes, lessons learned, and best practices, and will ensure the use of evidence to inform stronger and more sustainable climate-responsive education programming in Pakistan. Additionally, the Manager will be responsible for budget management, procurement, and event coordination in line with donor and organizational compliance requirements. S/he will also serve as the focal point for internal and external communication and liaison related to the initiative.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reporting to: Program Operations Manager

Technical Reporting: Education Advisor

Number of direct reports: Matrix management and technical oversight of project staff and consultants

Budget Holding Responsibilities: Yes, project budget management and regular follow up with partners and consultants and will prepare and manage financial advances and reports under activities directly supported by SCI.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITY AREAS:

Planning and Implementation:

• Prepare a detailed activity plan of the project and successful implementation for CSESI interventions in collaboration with Program Operations Manager and relevant departments.
• Assist to facilitate joint planning of the CSESI interventions through effective coordination with different directorates under provincial education departments.
• Identify the challenges, issues, and bottlenecks in implementation of CSESI activities within the provincial education departments, and support to overcome those in collaboration with the provincial education departments and Education Advisor and Program Operations Manager.
• Preparing, reviewing, and tracking budget for program implementation.
• Facilitate timely data collection, access and capacity to use climate-related data and integrate it into Education department’s monitoring information systems in collaboration with TA Climate Change.
• Support with evidence generation and knowledge management for program improvement and better future programming
• To identify and document climate smart education initiative achievements/successes, lessons learned, case studies and best practices.
• Lead coordination with consultancy firms, ensuring timely, effective, and efficient delivery of consultancy assignments to achieve project objectives under the CSESI project.

Programme Quality:

• Support that the implementation of the Climate Smart Education initiative is in line with national government and global strategic priorities of SCI
• Prepare an action plan for capacity development of provincial education departments on climate smart education in collaboration with provincial education departments. Follow up of the plan and track the progress and report back to the operation manager and education sector.
• Follow up with the provincial education departments for documenting the evidence, documentation of lessons and best practices and assist to disseminate widely to raise visibility of the initiative
• Work closely with the Climate Change Advisor to ensure that climate resilience, adaptation, and environmental sustainability are effectively integrated across all components of the CSESI project, ensuring technical quality and alignment with organizational climate strategies
• Work with the Child Protection Advisor to ensure there is meaningful participation of children and communities in relevant aspects of the Climate Smart Education Interventions.
• Work as focal to ensure that the provincial education departments and other key education partners engaged in the program are aware of safeguarding and that children and adults’ beneficiaries are protected from all forms of abuse perpetuated by staff, partners, and other SCI representatives

Program Delivery:

• Assist provincial education departments and other stakeholders to develop and follow the Implementation Plan, (ii) monthly and weekly work plans, (iii) Budget advances and (iv) Scope of work for each activity on Climate Smart Education Initiative
• Organize and ensure the logistics to execute realistic and appropriate project implementation, procurement, and budget phasing plans for the Climate Smart Education Initiative
• Track the project activities budget expenditures and ensure they are following the compliance of donor and SCI.
• Analysis and review of monthly Budget vs. Actual and expenditure and provide technical assistance based on needs
• Ensure logistic support to host high level donor field visits, document key findings and recommendations and share with key relevant stakeholders.
• Support design and implementation of the complaints and feedback mechanisms to promote transparency and accountability system

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning:

• Actively work with MEAL team to support the provincial education departments to develop SMART indicators for the Climate Smart Education Initiative
• Conduct regular monitoring of Climate Smart Education activities including taking corrective action where necessary in collaboration with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) team
• Ensure timely production of activity/events reports as well as monthly reports and project briefs

Partnerships and coordination:

• Organize and coordinate different meetings between provincial education departments, SCI, UNESCO, and other key ministries such as the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), as well as provincial departments such as Provincial Disaster Management Authority(PDMA) and Environment Departments to enhance participation, ownership, and sustainability of the project.
• To lead the compilation and dissemination of the national Networks and Local Education Groups LEGs minutes, reports and data related to the project.
• Work closely with consultants working on generating evidence.
• Represent Save the Children in interagency working groups, including meetings, joint monitoring visits, coordination meetings and use information for program quality enhancement.
• Liaise closely with other actors in education, child protection, health and nutrition sectors on issues related to climate change.

Advocacy and Campaigns:

• Actively work with ACCM team to develop messages on climate smart education initiative for mass awareness raising.
• Support and coordinate with MEAL and ACCM in identifying and documentation of case studies, success stories and good practices in policy influencing emerging from the project interventions.

Delegated Budget holding

• Track the monthly BvA and assist to ensure the appropriate expenditures.
• Support partners and consultants to timely implement grants and ensure sound and accurate expenditure and reporting.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds their team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in accordance with the context, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• Widely shares Save the Children’s vision, and engages and motivates others future orientated, thinks strategically and on a national and global scale

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honesty encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

The post holder must commit to work in an international agency that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion and fights racism, gender inequality and discrimination in all forms; and to model positive behaviors that demonstrate a commitment to equality and respect to all colleagues, partners, and communities.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE Essential

KEY COMPETENCIES

Technical competencies:

• Data management
• Financial management.
• Human resource management
• Collaboration and networking
• Presentation skills

Generic Competencies:

• Being the Voice of Children: Promotes evidence-based policy and public engagement that includes the voices of children and their communities.
• Advancing Equality & Inclusion: Displays a commitment to ensuring everything we do considers the most deprived and marginalized children.
• Building & Strengthening Partnerships: Promotes working with diverse partners as critical to delivery.
• Child Rights: Promotes the rights of children in own work and in work with colleagues and peers.

Additional Job Responsibilities:

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities:

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI’s global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Gender Equality Policies, supported by relevant procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy

Health and Safety:

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

Save the Children has zero tolerance towards Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Fraud, Bribery and Corruption.